Ninety Seconds
by PotterIsMyPatronus
Summary: Did you know it takes ninety seconds to figure out whether you like someone or not? Euphrosyne Ember is a bilingual seventh year exchange student from Beauxbatons, who came to Hogwarts to study. During her time, however, she met extremely handsome and famous Harry Potter, who is part Veela, like her. Meanwhile, her cousin Autumn has a cunning plot up her sleeve... OC x Veela!Harry.


**WOOP. This was the devil to write. Euphrosyne is my OC and Autumn belongs to AccioTrench on Twitter. I love book Harry. He's so amazing and sassy and sarcastic and if I met him in real life we'd be so compatible, siriusly. He is just… wow. If I can't have James, then Harry will have to do. :D**

**Harry Potter © J K Rowling.**

* * *

I felt like a celebrity on my first day at Hogwarts and it wasn't a good thing. I didn't like people talking about me.

"Is that the new girl? Euphrosyne Ember, was it?"

"Yes. She's from Beauxbatons."

"Why is she here then?"

"Beauxbatons takes their OWLs in sixth year, but apparently this Rosyne bird wanted to study Herbology to a higher level than they did there in France, so she transferred here to study intensive Herbology of rare, dangerous, valuable plants. She's of Pureblood heritage, so she can afford to do that. She only studies Herbology and Transfiguration. She has a cousin here, at school. Second year."

"Autumn Ember?"

"That's it. Gryffindor, like Euphrosyne."

"Wow, Euphrosyne is pretty damn attractive, isn't she?"

"Apparently she's one sixteenth Veela."

_Just keep walking, Rosyne, just keep walking_. I kept my head down so my choppy, chin length ash blonde hair could block my eyes. I clutched my Herbology book tighter under my arm. How did they know so much about me? I sighed, straightened my red and gold tie and carried on.

It'd felt awkward back there, with my fellow Seventh Years examining me like I was a mutant in a lab. I hated awkwardness, like I hated embarrassment and humiliation. Keeping my eyes firmly glued on the floor, I walked on until I bumped into someone's arm. My lips parted and a faint, "Oh!" escaped my lips before I tumbled backwards.

"I'm sorry, I didn't…" I began to say, daring to glance up at the poor soul I bashed into. I was shocked into silence by the piercing green eyes that twinkled at me. I gasped and saw the thin scar on his forehead, shaped like a lightning bolt. His hair was like a halo of onyx thorns, spiked around his handsome face. He was very tall, but it might've just been my perspective from the ground, and his body seemed toned under his robes, yet not too muscular.

What captivated me were his eyes. They were like orbs of luminescent emerald, flecked with shades from the earth and the trees and the sea. It was like stepping into the outdoors and embracing the fresh green that came with it. They were kind and considerate yet they screamed to be seen.

"Hi, are you Euphrosyne?" asked Harry.

I gawped for a few more seconds before swallowing and nodding frantically. I turned to the two people beside him – a lanky redhead with freckles rampaging across his face, and a sweet-looking girl with bushy brown hair and innocent eyes to match. Said girl leaned down and helped me to my feet.

"My name is Hermione Granger. Where are you heading?" said the girl.

"G-G-G-Greenhouse Three," I stammered, unable to stop myself from glancing at Harry. I tore my gaze from his radiant eyes and looked to my feet to retrieve my book, to find it was gone. After a few seconds of scanning the floor confusedly, as if the giant book bound in dragon hide was hiding in the cracks in the floor, before the tall redhead cleared his throat. As soon as I lifted my gaze, my eyes met green leather, a few inches from my face.

"I'm Ron Weasley," said the redhead as I took the book from his grip. His arms were very lengthy; in fact, his legs were too. I wasn't a short girl but I still had to look up to meet his blue eyes.

"Euphrosyne Ember. Thank you." I beamed at the three of them. "I must be going now."

"Do you know where?" asked Harry.

"Yes," I replied curtly.

"Are you sure? Because you were going the wrong way. Greenhouse Three is that way." Harry pointed at the way I came. I blushed furiously.

"Well, sorry for not learning the precise map of the castle before I got here. Today is my first day, if you didn't know." I glared, my cheeks flaming.

Harry raised his hands as if in surrender. "I was just trying to help."

"You're not doing a very good job."

"You're very child-like."

"Are you calling me childish?"

"Are you deaf? I said child-like, not childish."

"Child-like is just your attempt at saying I'm childish in a nice way!"

"Whatever you say."

"Look," Hermione cut in. "Stop fighting. You hardly know each other. Euphrosyne, I'm sure he wasn't being deliberately offensive. Harry, stop picking on the new girl. I know she's pretty but Merlin, restrain yourself."

Harry made a sound like he was being strangled.

"Come on, I'll take you to the greenhouse," said Hermione.

"It'll be fine, I'll figure it out. Thank you anyway," I replied, smiling.

"I'll take you," said Harry.

My eyes narrowed, but before I could protest he seized me by the upper arm and was dragging me down the corridor. I could've resisted but my efforts would be futile, as I could tell by his build he was much stronger than me. It'd save me whatever pride I had left to remain silent and allow myself to be hauled away. It was good I was facing away from him – if not, I might've let myself be bewitched by his eyes again. I sighed, but he didn't question it. I asked a question, but he didn't answer. My feet dug into the ground, attempting to hook on the cracks to free myself, but he wasn't having that, and the cracks were too shallow to put up a good enough fight.

Suddenly, light filtered into my vision and I put up a hand to shield my eyes.

"Greenhouse Three is over there," Harry grunted, averting his eyes from me. I smiled a little, before hitching my book higher and walking away.

After a few moments I turned around to find he was still there. "Hey, Potter!"

He looked up reluctantly.

"Did you know it takes ninety seconds to figure out whether or not you like someone?" I asked. He raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks for that. Did that useless fact have a purpose or were you just blurting out the first thing that comes to mind like the child you are?" Harry yelled back.

I smirked and continued to Greenhouse Three without responding. It did have a purpose, but he wasn't ready for it yet.

That was the first time I met Harry James Potter, but I was going to ensure it wasn't the last.

_.-*'*-._.-*'*-._

Three months later, I found myself walking down the corridor to Greenhouse Three, taking a route I had long since remembered and perfected. I was also sporting a thing for Harry Potter, but that was normal. Everyone was.

That's what I was telling myself.

"Rosyne!"

I wheeled on my heels to see Autumn Ember, Gryffindor Second Year, gazing at me questioningly. "Hey, cousin!" I said.

"Didn't you hear? I thought it might interest you seeing as you like him so much." Autumn giggled, eyes glittering mischievously.

"Okay, what are you going on about?" I demanded.

"Harry Potter's Veela traits have come into effect! You should see him now!"

Wait a moment. "Harry's a Veela?"

Autumn shook her little head. "Only half. His mother was one. He's got enough Veela blood in his veins for his traits to activate at a certain age."

I have to see this! "Take me to him," I ordered.

"I thought you'd say that. That's why I told you that first. He's looking for you. He'll be waiting in the broom cupboard near the south-east doors." She smirked like the little demon she was.

Why would he be in a broom cupboard? Ugh, whatever. I smiled at my cousin before heading off in the direction of the said broom cupboard, because as long as he was there, I wouldn't give a damn where we were. Of course, I'd never tell him that. He probably had his reasons; he was Harry effing Potter. He defeated You-Know-Who and saved the lives of my aunt, uncle and cousin. He was a hero, yet he was probably tired of hearing that. I know I would be, if I was him. It'd been bad enough being the talk of the school for a few months. A celebrity status is something I just wouldn't be able to handle.

Class had already started, but for Harry I could afford to miss a lesson or two. I was intrigued by the way he called me childlike, and I'd never managed to get it off my mind. He was probably the first guy ever who hadn't endeavoured to get onto my good side immediately. Maybe that was the Veela blood. It was a foolish thing to do. It took ninety seconds to decide whether you liked someone or not, anyway.

I rounded a corner, but stopped suddenly. A wooden door with brown paint chipping off was almost brushing my nose with its closeness. This proved there definitely were parts of the castle I still didn't know; I may have memorized the positions of the trick steps and fake doors, but I wasn't nearly finished yet. I put my hand on the door handle and cautiously turned it. After I opened the door, I started and almost shrieked. I bit my lower lip to muffle it.

Inside was the interior of a typical broom cupboard. Cans of paint stacked on loose shelves, broomsticks leaned against a corner, a dim light bulb handing from a wire threw haunting shadows on everything inside, but it wasn't strong enough to provide any real light, and it was flickering. What startled me was a male figure in the corner, obviously bound to a metal pillar, with glowing orbs for eyes penetrating the thin darkness.

"What in the name of Merlin?" I whispered. Taking my wand out of my pocket, I hissed, "Lumos!" I held my wand to the face of the guy, and saw an astonishingly handsome face staring right back.

"Oh thank Agrippa, it's you! Could you untie me please?" said Harry, smiling in relief.

My breath caught in my throat at how beautiful he was. It was blatantly obvious that he was half Veela. He'd changed so much. The most I could do was nod and step inside. However, as soon as I passed over the doorframe, the door banged shut behind me.

Harry growled. "Damn."

I ignored him and leaned closed to tease the knot apart. The rope binding him was thick and splitting, but eventually I loosened the knot enough for Harry to wriggle out of the rope's grip. I longed to keep my face near to him – he even smelled nice. He banged his fists against the door and tugged on the handle with as much force as he could muster, but the frail door didn't budge.

"It's stronger than it looks," I said, joining him in attacking the door.

"Sort of like you," he replied absentmindedly.

I raised an eyebrow and continued pounding on the wood.

"I didn't mean to call you childish. It's just… you are childlike in a way. You see things in a different way. You take things in." Harry smiled down at me as he rammed the door with his shoulder.

I remained silent, but my hands stilled on the door. Although I wanted to, clenching my fists would be too obvious.

"That's one of the beautiful things about you," said Harry.

I inhaled sharply, my eyes widening. What…?

"Do you not think you're beautiful?" asked Harry, leaning on the door with his elbow. His hands linked into his hair, even spikier and darker than before. I wanted my hands to be where his were.

"I understand that I am one sixteenth Veela, and even with that small fraction of their blood in me it still makes me much more beautiful than, let's say, the _average _girl. But not really. It's just my blood that's beautiful." My nails sank into the wood. Blushing, I looked away from his eyes.

"Do you want me to name every beautiful feature you possess?" Harry's voice dropped lower, and I almost gasped at how sexy it was.

"Your eyes," said Harry, gazing into them as he said it.

"M-m-my eyes?" I repeated with a stutter, my face flaming. "They're nothing on yours. They're just typical green eyes." I closed my eyes as I spoke, my eyelids fluttering.

Harry cupped my face with his hands and pressed his lips to each of my eyelids. "I beg to differ."

I couldn't breathe. I opened my eyes again and I saw double vision. I needed to sit down, but I was frozen like a statue in my crush's arms.

"Your skin. It smells so sweet," whispered Harry as he lifted my wrist. He pressed his lips to the biggest vein and nibbled softly.

"You smell sweeter," I gasped out.

Harry laughed, raising his head and taking my waist. I was pressed against his muscular chest and I'd never felt safer or more terrified at the same time. I didn't even know you could feel both at the same time.

"Your hair. It's so soft and it always curls around your face. Like a picture frame." Harry was laughing into my hair now.

I giggled. "I'm hardly considered a work of art." I let go of Harry's arms, which I had subconsciously been holding around me, and stepped back with a smile. "Thank you."

"Wait. There's one more." Harry stepped forward and cupped my face again so I couldn't look away. "Will you go out with me?"

The smile on my face was replaced with an agape expression. "W-why me?"

"You're different." Harry smiled again, but I kept frowning.

"Then why did you like me one minute, hate me the next and ignore me after that?" I asked. I was so confused.

"That's easy," said Harry. "It takes ninety seconds to decide whether you like someone or not."

He lowered his face down onto my mouth. His lips were even softer than they looked, and they pried open mine. It was like falling into a fantasy, and although I had been dreaming of this moment for months, nothing was better than the reality of him willingly kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer, ignoring the feeling of his glasses cutting into my cheeks. The little sting felt like it was reminding me to be grateful, or saving my sanity. I was swimming in the softness of his lips. His arms kept me from collapsing backwards, because my knees were so weak from the sensation. The only times we split were to come up for the air we so desperately needed. Our breath was mixed together, in pants and gasps, and with a growl he crushed his mouth to mine again. The urgency was slowing down to a sweet rhythm, and I wanted to cry with the love in it.

When we emerged for breath the last time, we didn't go back down. I craved to see the look in his eyes, but his glasses had misted up. Rapidly, he took them off and wiped the lenses on the sleeve of his robes.

"I, uh, wow. That was brilliant. I get what Ron was on about now," Harry said in between pants.

I gave a breathless laugh and wrapped my arms around his waist to rest my head on his chest. Without warning, the door opened. We started and whipped round to see Autumn, Ron, Hermione and a redheaded girl that had a likeness to Ron. A sister?

"It was only a matter of time," said Ron with a smirk.

Hermione beamed at us.

The redhead burst into tears, and Harry started to chase after her until Ron grabbed the fabric of his robes.

"I'll go to Ginny. You stay with your girlfriend, mate," Ron suggested, before taking off after Ginny.

Everyone was looking at Autumn, who was whistling as though she was utterly innocent. The glint in her eyes told me different.

"You can thank me later," said Autumn with a wink, before skipping off to her class.

Harry stared at her like she'd grown a second head. "That's why she abducted me and tied me up?"

I shrugged before taking his hand.

Ron came hurtling back down the corridor to stop on Harry's other side. "She's a bit distraught, but she'll get over it."

Harry nodded before smirking at me. "Ginny kind of adores me."

"I don't blame her," I replied, and laughter rippled through us all. Hermione hitched her bag higher up her shoulder.

"Well, I'll be getting to class now. See you guys at lunch. Nice to see you again, Euphrosyne," she said, before speed-walking out of sight.

Ron stared after her for a few minutes before shrugging. "There's no point going to class now. You got the Cloak?"

"I always have," said Harry, taking said cloak from his bag in the broom cupboard. His hand was completely invisible where he was holding it.

"Is that a genuine Cloak of Invisibility?" I asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Harry chuckled. He wrapped it over my shoulders and my entire body below the neckline vanished.

"How did you get it?"

"I'll tell you someday."

Together, us three walked down the corridor, me invisible in the centre, and that was the start of a new relationship for all of us.

* * *

**; u ; yay~**

**Thank you for reading. Favourite and review please? :3**

**Mwah!**

**PotterIsMyPatronus 7**


End file.
